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Yevamos 72
1) [line 4] NEZUFIM - ostracized from Heaven (a) because of the golden calf
(RASHI); (b) because of the spies (RI, cited by Tosfos DH Nezufin)
2) [line 5] NIVDUR - be scattered
3a) [line 6] B'YOMA D'EIVA - on a cloudy day
b) [line 6] YOMA D'SHUSA - on a day with a very strong southern wind
4) [line 7] MESOCHRINAN - we let blood
5) [line 8] DASHU BAH RABIM - since many are in the habit of doing it (lit.
many have treaded upon it); many people circumcise and let blood on these
day
6) [line 8] PESAYIM - fools
7) [line 12] MAI TALMUDA? - what do we learn from this?
8) [line 13] MASHUCH - a man whose skin is drawn over the Atarah so that his
circumcision cannot be seen
9) [line 17] KATA'I B'SEIFA - he erred based on the end of the Tosefta, as
the Gemara goes on to explain
10) [line 19] BEN KOZIVA (BAR KOCHVA)
(a) At the time of the Churban Beis ha'Mikdash (70 CE), Yerushalayim was
destroyed and razed to the ground. The Roman Tenth Legion was garrisoned
there following its destruction. Emperor Hadrian (who reigned from 117 - 138
CE) founded a new pagan city on the site of Yerushalayim, naming it Aelia
Capitolina; Aelia in honor of his own name Publius Aelius Hadrianus, and
Capitolina in honor of Jupiter, whose temple in Rome was on the Capitolene
hill. At the site of the Beis ha'Mikdash, he erected a new temple to
Jupiter. According to the Roman historian Dio Cassius, this was the cause of
the revolt of Bar Kochva (132 - 135 CE). However, this could have not been
the *main* cause of the revolt, since no reference to it is made in the
Jewish sources. There are references to a number of commandments whose
observance was prohibited by the Romans; e.g. Shabbos, circumcision, family
purity and Keri'as Shema. All of these decrees brought on the revolt of Bar
Kochva (in about 3883/123 CE), which lasted for nine years.
(b) At first the revolt began by Jews who refused to yield to the decrees.
They hid in caves and other secret places. (The Chazan Caves, one of these
hideouts, can be visited today.) When discovered and raided by the Romans
they would resist with great courage and often with great success. Before
long, the attacked became attackers, striking out at the Roman troops. At
this time, a leader appeared who was a military genius, Shimon Bar Koziva.
Rebbi Akiva felt that he was great enough to be Mashiach and called him Bar
Kochva, "son of the star," an allusion to the verse, "Darach Kochav
mi'Yakov," "A star shall go forth from Ya'akov" (Bamidbar 24:17). The "star"
of the verse is an allusion to the Mashiach.
(c) Bar Kochva succeeded in organizing nets of resistance into an army and
gradually pushed the Roman troops out of one position after another.
Approximately three years after the beginning of the revolt, Bar Kochva and
his troops took over the city of Yerushalayim for approximately three years.
There is some evidence that the Beis ha'Mikdash was functioning at this
time. The Tenth Legion was evacuated and withdrew to Caesarea. At this point
a period of independent Jewish sovereignty began in Eretz Yisrael, which the
Gemara refers to as the Kingdom of Bar Koziva, which lasted for two and a
half years (Sanhedrin 97b). Jews all over the world, and other nations, too,
were giving evidence of great hostility to the Romans.
(d) Sixty years earlier, at the time of the Churban, the Romans required
three legions for the conquest of Yerushalayim. At the time of Bar Kochva,
the Romans brought in six legions, besides the legions that were already
there, and further detachments of cavalry and infantry. [It seems that one
of the reasons for this greater need of military strength was that the Jews
were unified, in contrast to the times of the Churban when the Jews were
fragmented into opposing groups and sects - Editors note.]
(e) Despite the enormous size of their army, the Romans were unwilling to
face Bar Kochva's troops in full battle. They proceeded slowly, attacking
isolated localities and interfering with food supplies. When the
Twenty-second Legion advanced too deeply and too quickly into Jewish
territory, it was totally destroyed. It was never reconstituted, and forever
after was omitted from the list of units in the Roman army.
(f) After a siege of approximately twelve months, the Romans recaptured the
city of Yerushalayim. Bar Kochva and his troops withdrew to Beitar, a large
city to the southwest of Yerushalayim, where the fighting continued for some
three and a half years. Eventually, Bar Kochva accepted a slanderous
accusation against his uncle, the sage Rebbi Elazar ha'Moda'i, who had been
praying all along for the salvation of Beitar, and killed him in a fit of
rage. Afterwards, Beitar fell to the Romans, and Bar Kochva was slain.
(YERUSHALMI Ta'anis 4:5)
(g) The blood of the men, women and children killed is said to have flowed
into the Mediterranean Sea, which was a distance of one Mil away (Gitin 57a;
according to Eichah Rabah 2:4 four Mil; alt. 40 Mil). The Gemara (ibid.)
records that the non-Jews in the neighboring towns did not need to fertilize
their vineyards for seven years due to the quantity of blood that flowed
into the ground.
(h) At first, the Roman Government did not let the Jews bury the bodies. One
emperor is said to have fenced in his vineyard with the dead bodies (Eichah
Raba 2:4). After quite some time, the next emperor let the bodies be buried.
It was seen as a sign of favor from HaSh-m that the Romans changed their
minds, and that the bodies did not decompose before they were buried. The
Chachamim established the Berachah of ha'Tov veha'Metiv to commemorate the
miracles.
(i) After the revolt was crushed, no Jews were allowed to live in
Yerushalayim for 500 years. The rulers killed any Jew who set foot in the
city. The fall of the Beis ha'Mikdash sixty-three years earlier triggered
the destruction of Yerushalayim; the fall of Beitar triggered the
destruction of Eretz Yisrael. Nevertheless, Jews always remained in Eretz
Yisrael. GREAT NEWS! Donations for the rebuilding of Eretz Yisrael and
Yerushalayim are NOW being accepted! Send your donations c/o Kolel Iyun
ha'Daf and specify that the money is for that holy purpose.
(from History of the Jewish People/From Yavneh to Pumbedisa, Artscroll
Publishers, Brooklyn, New York, 1986, by Meir Holder)
11) [line 29] ANDROGINUS - hermaphrodite, a person with both male and female
reproductive organs. There is a Machlokes as to whether an Androginus is a
male, female or a new gender.
12) [line 41] MOLID MA'ACHIL - only a person who can reproduce can give
others the right to eat Terumah
13) [line 48] KATAN SHE'AVAR ZEMANO - a newborn boy whose time [for
circumcision, i.e. the eighth day] has passed
72b---------------------------------------72b
14) [line 8] NOSAR
(a) If any meat of a Korban remains after the time that was allotted for it
to be eaten, it must be burned, as the Torah states, "b'Yom Zivchachem
Ye'achel umi'Macharas, *veha'Nosar* Ad Yom ha'Shelishi ba'Esh Yisaref." -
"It shall be eaten the same day that you slaughter it and on the next day,
and anything that *remains* until the third day shall be burned in fire."
(Vayikra 19:6).
(b) If someone eats Nosar intentionally he is Chayav Kares. If he eats it
unintentionally, he must bring a Korban Chatas (SEFER HA'CHINUCH Mitzvah
215).
15) [line 16] BEN PEDAS - Rebbi Elazar Ben Pedas, the Amora who is usually
referred to as Rebbi Elazar in the Gemara. He was a disciple of Rebbi
Yochanan. [He is not be confused with Rebbi Elazar of the Mishnah and of the
Beraisa, who is Rebbi Elazar Ben Shamu'a, one of the Ten Martyrs.
16) [line 18] TORAS KOHANIM - Sifra. One of the earliest Midrashic
commentaries on Vayikra, which was written by Rav (circa 220 C.E.) and which
follows the opinion of Rebbi Yehudah
17) [line 19] NAFAK - he went out of the Yeshiva (in order to study Toras
Kohanim)
18) [line 19] SAVRAH - he understood it in depth
19) [line 20] HIZAH (HAZA'AS MEI CHATAS)
If a person (or utensil) became Tamei through touching a Mes, he must wait
seven days to become Tahor. On the third and seventh days he must have
spring water mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah (Mei Chatas) sprinkled
on him. A person who is Tahor dips three Ezov branches (hyssops) that have
been bound together into the mixture, and sprinkles them on the person who
is Tamei. On the seventh day, he immerses in a Mikvah after the mixture is
sprinkled on him in order to complete his Taharah. (Bamidbar 19:17-19)
20) [line 21] TEVUL YOM
A Tevul Yom is a person or utensil that has been immersed in a Mikvah to
become Tahor for Chulin, but is still waiting for nightfall to be completely
Tahor with regard to Terumah. The level of Tum'ah of a Tevul Yom is minimal;
he or it is considered only a Sheni l'Tum'ah and if he or it touches Terumah
or Kodesh, the Terumah or Kodesh becomes Pasul and must be burned. Chulin
that he or it touches do not become Teme'im. After the following nightfall,
he or it becomes completely Tahor with regard to Terumah.
21) [line 22] PARAH (PARAH ADUMAH)
The Parah Adumah, an exclusively red-haired female cow is burned on Har
ha'Zeisim and its ashes are used for making a person Tahor if he is Tamei
Mes. Only a cow that has not had a yoke placed upon it and has had no other
work done with it is fit to be used as a Parah Adumah. A place is prepared
for its slaughter on Har ha'Zeisim, opposite the gate to the Azarah (the
courtyard of the Beis ha'Mikdash). After it is slaughtered, its blood is
sprinkled in the direction of the Beis ha'Mikdash seven times. A cedar
branch, some Ezov branches and a piece of crimson wool are thrown into the
carcass of the cow while it is burning. (Bamidbar 19:1-22)
23) [line 23] MA'ASER (MA'ASER SHENI)
(a) After a crop is harvested and brought to the owner's house or yard, he
must separate Terumah from the crop and give it to a Kohen. Although the
Torah does not specify the amount to be given, the Rabanan set the
requirement at one fiftieth of the total crop.
(b) After Terumah is removed from the produce, the first tithe to be given
every year is called Ma'aser Rishon; one tenth of the produce must be given
to a Levi.
(c) A second tithe is given every year after Ma'aser Rishon has been
separated. The tithe that is separated in the third and sixth years of the
7-year Shemitah cycle is called Ma'aser Ani and is given to the poor.
(d) The tithe that is separated during the first, second, fourth and fifth
years is called *Ma'aser Sheni*. The Torah requires that Ma'aser Sheni be
brought and eaten b' Taharah by its owner in Yerushalayim. A person who is
an Onen (a mourner on the day of death of one of his closest relatives --
see Background to Yoma 13:5) may not eat Ma'aser Sheni (Devarim 26:14).
(e) Alternatively, Ma'aser Sheni produce may be redeemed, in which case the
money used to redeem it is brought to Yerushalayim. If the owner himself
redeems the produce, he must add an additional *fifth* (of the ensuing
total, or a *quarter* of the original value). The food that is bought with
this money in Yerushalayim becomes Kodesh like Ma'aser Sheni and must be
eaten b'Taharah. Ma'aser Sheni that was redeemed by anyone besides the owner
is exempt from the additional fifth.
24a) [line 29] TUMTUM - a person whose genitals are hidden so that we do not
know if he is a male or a female
b) [line 30] ANDROGINUS - hermaphrodite, a person with both male and
female reproductive organs. There is a Machlokes as to whether an Androginus
is a male, female or a new gender.
25) [line 38] LO LISHTAMIT TANA V'LISNI HE'AREL VEHA'TAMEI? - Why did a Tana
not refrain (lit. escape) from teaching that the Halachos of Arel and Tamei
are the same (besides the Halachah regarding Mei Chatas)
26) [line 41] RE'IYAH
Every Jewish male is required to appear before HaSh-m in the Azarah of the
Beis ha'Mikdash and to bring a Korban Re'iyah on the three festivals
(Devarim 16:16). The Korban Re'iyah is a Korban Olah. If the Korban was not
brought on the first day of the festival, it may be brought on any of the
other six days of Pesach. On Sukos it may be brought on the first day or the
next seven days and on Shavu'os it may be brought on Shavu'os or on the six
days following the festival.
27) [line 42] L'KADESH (KIDUSH MEI CHATAS)
(a) If a person (or utensil) became Tamei through touching a Mes, he must
wait seven days to become Tahor. On the third and seventh days he must have
spring water mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah (Mei Chatas) sprinkled
on him. A person who is Tahor dips three Ezov branches (hyssops) that have
been bound together into the mixture, and sprinkles them on the person who
is Tamei. On the seventh day, he immerses in a Mikvah after the mixture is
sprinkled on him in order to complete his Taharah. (Bamidbar 19:17-19)
(b) Our Gemara quotes the Mishnah that brings the argument between the
Tana'im as to which people may mix the ashes with the spring water.
28) [line 46] ASIFAH - collecting the ashes of the Parah Adumah
*29*) [line 49] HAVAH AMINA SHAKIL CHAD V'YAHIV CHAD - that is, I would
think that the verse requires the same person that the *same person* to
place the ashes on the water, must *mix* the water thoroughly with the ashes
(TOSFOS).
*30*) [last line] D'AFILU SHAKLEI TREI V'YAHIV CHAD - that is, even if two
place the ashes on the water, a single person may mix the water with the
ashes. (This shows that the placing of the ashes and the mixing may be done
by different people, since otherwise the Torah would require the second
person who placed the ashes to also mix it with the water.)
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